travel tales & silly stories

My travel adventures have resulted in some incredible travel stories over the years. Some are uplifting tales of the best of people, some are an overview of our biggest challenges in this world, but most of all - they are my experiences. Not just of the physical kind, but of the emotional kind. Unforgettable experiences that have been burnt into my psyche.

I'd heard of Malta of course however I have to confess prior to meeting a lovely young Maltese couple in South Africa last year, I didn't really know anything at all about Malta. After trouping around South Africa with them for a month I saw photos and heard all about Malta and what seemed to be an amazing country that has at some point been invaded by a multitude of nationalities.

Today while external influences do exist, Malta is very much its own country. The languages are Maltese and English so its very easy to get around and to communicate and while it isn't a large country I was very surprised at the amount of space that they have. I was thinking it was going to be like Singapore I guess. I figured such a small country would be pretty much one big city but no, it has many different personalities, influences and a wide variety of scenery.

Our Gorgeous Cottage In Rabat

Our decision to stay in Rabat was mostly because we wanted something different, we wanted to be away from Valletta (not knowing how busy Valletta would be) and after researching it I found that we could get almost anywhere on the buses from the Mdina stop. I found a very cool little traditional house in the middle of Rabat through AirBnB and it was perfect for our stay. Tiny in footprint but it had everything we needed. A downstairs sitting room, bathroom on the 1st floor, bedroom on the 2nd, TV room on the 3rd and a great terrace on the roof. All this combined together with an amazing staircase that was a combination of traditional sandstone stairs and modern glass wall. Very cool indeed.

NB: These are photo's from AirBnB's website. They aren't mine.

Rabat Town

I spent a few months in Spain in 2016, and after that a few more months in north west Africa in late 2016 early 17. Drawing on that experience I felt that Malta was very much an eclectic mix of both. It has the wonderful narrow street walled cities that Spain has but it also has that Arab influence of rows and rows of small businesses that have roller doors and apartments above. It also has quite a bit of the older abandoned properties that you see around Europe here and there. Talking to people, often the cost of repairs to the old buildings is more than you would pay for a new property so they just move on and haven't yet sold or done anything with the original home.

Rabat has the lovely winding streets you would expect from a city this old and surprisingly compared to the balance of Malta, there isn't a lot of let go buildings in Rabat. They are still there, but no where near as prevalent as other parts of Malta.

The streets reflect lovingly looked after homes with swept stoops, painted doors and pot plants displaying an explosion of colour as they come into spring. This is one of those area's where if you go down the the plaza in front of the church you will always find a huddle of elderly men gossiping and arguing the day away. The ladies seem more intent on chores or going somewhere but the men are sitting and talking each others ears off. Actually as I write this I realize I've not seen this since Cuba. Now that I think about it - yes Cuba is exactly what it reminds me of.

There is a well worn walk that goes between the Mdina (also the main bus stop in Rabat) and the church plaza and St Paul's Catacombs. This street is filled with restaurants of differing standards and menu options. You will literally find something for everyone. From sandwiches to Fine Dining - its there.

The Mdina isn't just a tourist destination - people do live there so when you visit try to be a little respectful of the home owners and keep it as quiet as you can.

My Map with notes from Rabat. It will open Google Maps with the Mdina Gate at the centre if you click it.

Our host recommended a restaurant called Route 81 which is right next to Cork and Fork on the map here. For some reason I can't get it to show on Google maps but the owner can so I'm not sure what was going on there but it is lovely. Amazing food and while its not crazy expensive its not a cheap dinner. Its good food in a great atmosphere with incredible staff. Can't recommend it enough.

You can easily spend an afternoon wandering the Mdina and Rabat itself is the same. There are a few small grocery stores around and one slightly larger one (on the road to St Agatha's Catacombs) so you can get most things. There is a great wine and alcohol shop just off the church plaza, but it is usually closed by dusk.

The buses from the Mdina Stops can get you almost anywhere however the stops further down into Rabat are often only used early and the last pickup there may be as late at 8:15am. We were going over the other side to get on a ferry one day and looked on their transport website and found out we could get on the bus just at the end of our street, however when we got down there that was the last bus that picked up there during the day so if you are searching for options make sure your times are correct or you will be standing there for hours! The buses are very cheap though and easy to use. The Mdina stops do have buses that can get you almost anywhere on the island so if you miss a stop at a specific station, just walk to the Mdina and you will be able to get where you need to go from there.

In Summary:

Location: Rabat has the Mdina which makes it's accessibility to the rest of Malta perfect.Staff: Claudette (from Caseri) was lovely and even though we didn't arrive until 10:30pm met us at the house and showed us around.Facilities: Great - its a small house but has everything you need.​Beware: Nothing - except the aforementioned bus timetables.Value: Accommodation = 10! Location = 9. Rabat was a great place for us to stay and the only reason I didn't give it a 10 was that it's not close to any beaches so if you are looking for a beach stay - its not for you.Bed Comfort: 6 (* Bed rating explained at the bottom of this post)

Helpful Links:

AirBnB - This link will take you direct to the property. If you haven't used AirBnB before, use this link to get $55 discount on your first trip over $110.Air Malta - we flew Air Malta from Paris and they were perfectly fine. They also partner with Air France which gives you a wider range of flights.Malta Public Transport - there is a journey planner to help you find where you want to go.
Skyscanner flight box below for flights further afield than Malta.

* Bed Comfort Rating:
1 is OMG I'm sleeping on the floor and 10 is I died and am floating in the clouds